My beautiful blue with redwash HM, that I got from PetSmart a week ago, died last night, possible from the "Mystery Disease."

I wasn't going to get a new one. "Two is enough," I said.... But I went back to Petsmart to show them the one that had died. They sent me to talk to an employee, who was standing right next to the Bettas.... I pretended I didn't see them.

The employee asked, "Do you want a replacement?" and waved at the line of Bettas behind me, "or a refund?"

I couldn't resist turning around.... And there he was. Looking at me. Flaring his little green, red and white fins. I couldn't help thinking, "He'd be PERFECT for the Christmas Betta Contest!"

These pictures were taken while he was floating in his icky-cup, acclimating. (He's a little darker than the first picture... His coloring is more like the 2nd picture.) There's also white along the edges of his fins, but it doesn't show up well in these photos.

And my poor Little Fishie. I only had him a week, and he never fully acclimated. Two people thought he may have succumbed to the "Mystery Disease" that's being discussed in the Emergency & Diseases forum. Poor little guy. I never even gave him a real name, because he just never adapted here.

I've put Cayman Fire's one-gallon quarantine tank into what will become his three-gallon home, and turned on the heater. This will allow the temp to rise more slowly than if I put the heater directly into the smaller 1-gal tank.

I'm also keeping the tank half-covered with a towel to reduce light and distractions. (Especially the distraction caused by the hyperactive female who will be living next door to him! She already knows "something is happening" next to her, and she's been glass-surfing the side of her tank in an effort to see what, or who, is next to her.)

Someone once told me, "Fish are boring." Well, I bet they didn't have bettas!

He was swimming happily yesterday morning. By the evening, he was on the bottom, tilted on his side.... I treated him with some Epsom salt, and covered his tank with a towel to keep it dark.

This morning, I lifted up the towel, and he was floating on the surface. I was sure he was dead.

I tried to scoop him into his cup, and he swam away! Yay, he was alive! Sick maybe, but still alive.

I did a partial water change, again using Epsom salt.... Tonight, he still hasn't pooped, though. I'm still fasting him, and peeking in through the towel. He seems to have trouble with his buoyancy.

But at least, he's still alive. So there's hope.... I'll keep up with the Epsom salt treatment, and keep on hoping....

My other guys, Fiji and Tahiti, are oblivious to what's going on in the other tank. They watch each other through the sides of their tanks and flirt. I'm really glad that they're still healthy.

I think my 3rd tank is jinxed.... Or maybe it's contaminated. I'd washed it with bleach solution after Little Fishie died. But based on what I read today about the 'blue betta mystery disease,' it may be a form of Mycobacteria, and bleach may not be enough....

I've just washed my 1 gallon tank with bleach, then sprayed it with Lysol, per the Mycobacterium cleaning protocol. Tomorrow, I'll wash it with 70% alcohol, then rinse well and let it air dry. Once I know it's clean and free of bleach, Lysol and alcohol, I'll transfer Cayman to it. (Notice that I'm assuming he'll still be alive!) Then, I'll take his 3 gallon tank through the same cleaning protocol. I'm considering tossing out his silk plants and decorations, and buying new.... (I prefer not to consider that his illness may be due to Mycobacteria. There's no cure for it.... His symptoms are different from what LittleFishie had though, so I'm remaining optimistic...)